The Great Discovery

This Thursday we will be looking at salvation and particularly at the fact that, by birth, we are separated from God by our sin nature and that we need to be reconciled to God.  We will examine the Old Testament concept of atonement and relate it to what Christ accomplished for us in His life and death.

A Puritan Prayer for us as we ponder the great salvation that comes From God, is accomplished Through God, and is purposed primarily To the glory of God.

Glorious God, 

I bless thee and I know thee.
I once lived in the world, but was ignorant
of its Creator,
was a partaker of thy providences, but knew not
  the Provider,
was blind while enjoying the sunlight,
was deaf to all things spiritual, with voices
  all around me,
understood many things, but had no knowledge
  of thy ways,
saw the world, but did not see Jesus only.
O happy day, when in thy love's sovereignty
  thou didst look upon me, and call me by grace.
Then did the dead heart begin to beat,
  the darkened eye glimmer with light,
  the dull ear catch they echo,
  and I turned to thee and found thee,
  a God ready to hear, willing to save.
The did I find my heart at enmity to thee,
  vexing thy Spirit;
Then did I fall at thy feet and hear thee thunder,
  "The soul that sinneth, it must die!",
But when grace made me to know thee,
  and admire a God who hated sin,
  thy terrible justice held my will submissive.
My thoughts were then as knives cutting my head.
Then didst thou come to me in silken robes of love,
  and I saw thy Son dying that I might live,
  and in that death I found my all.
My soul doth sing at the remembrance of
  that peace;
The gospel cornet brought a sound unknown
  to me before that reached my heart - and I lived -
  never to lose my hold on Christ or his hold on me.
Grant that I may always weep to the praise of
  mercy found,
  and tell to others as long as I live,
  that thou art a sin-pardoning God,
  taking up the blasphemer and the ungodly,
  and washing them from their deepest stain.

"The Great Discovery"- Retyped From The Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions (p.112-113)

Soli Deo Gloria!